Fetal Monitor Safeguards High-Risk Pregnancies

A new fetal monitor, the size of a mobile phone, helps expectant mothers check on their baby's heart beat without having to go into hospital and be attached to a machine.

The Monica AN24 is a small, wearable, battery-powered fetal/maternal electrophysiologic monitor, which weighs less than 100 g. The monitor, developed by researchers at the University of Nottingham (UK), is designed for extensive periods of non-intrusive passive monitoring outside of the hospital setting, offering an alternative to current obstetric practice. The device will also be useful in monitoring high-risk pregnancies.

The highly sensitive monitor can gauge the heart rates of mother and fetus, as well as fetal position. The monitor converts the electrical signals from the maternal abdomen into a digital format and processes the data to extract clinically relevant information, such as the fetal heart rate (FHR), maternal heart rate (MHR), and other parameters during pregnancy. A detachable lead is connected to five disposable electrodes placed on the maternal abdomen, in a configuration designed to support the correct placement of the electrodes; little or no skill is needed to position the electrodes and commence monitoring. The resulting data can be also be transmitted by wireless technology to the nearest personal computer (PC).

"The device will be especially helpful in monitoring fetuses whose mothers suffer from medical conditions such as diabetes, autoimmune conditions such as systemic lupus erythematosus and Sjogren's syndrome, and obstetric cholestasis,” said one of the developers, Dr. Margaret Ramsay of the School of Human Development. "For all these fetuses, the more we can monitor them, the greater the chance of us detecting that they are running into difficulties before it is too late to help them.”

The technology developed at the university was spun out to create Monica Healthcare (Nottingham, UK). The monitor has passed all European Union (EU) regulatory safety standards and is currently undergoing clinical trials.


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University of Nottingham
Monica Healthcare